BREAKING: 35 Hostages and 15 Kidnappers Killed by Air Strikes by Algerian Army

[Hissyspit]

Last edited Thu Jan 17, 2013, 10:00 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: Reuters

@Reuters: BREAKING: 34 hostages and 15 kidnappers killed by air strikes by Algerian army - ANI news agency http://t.co/r5zLvpLQ

@Reuters: 180 Algerian hostages escape siege - local source http://t.co/r5zLvpLQ

@Reuters: RT @AJEnglish: BREAKING: 35 hostages and 15 hostage takers killed in Algeria as they tried to move from one plant location to another.

@BreakingNews: Algerian helicopter attack kills at least 34 hostages and 15 kidnappers in Sahara standoff, militants say - @AP, @Reuters

@CBSNews: Militants: Algerian copter attack kills 35 hostages and 15 kidnappers in Sahara standoff DEVELOPING ...

Reports say many hostages killed in Algeria siege

Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:30am EST

By Lamine Chikhi

ALGIERS (Reuters) - A Mauritanian news agency that has been in constant contact with kidnappers holding dozens of Western hostages in Algeria reported on Thursday that 34 of the captives had been killed in air strikes.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the report by the ANI news agency, which said 14 kidnappers had also been killed in air strikes by the Algerian armed forces, which had surrounded the remote desert gas pumping station where the kidnappers were holed up.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera television carried a similar report, citing its own sources.

ANI quoted a spokesman for the kidnappers as saying they would kill the rest of their captives if the army approached.

Governments around the world were holding emergency meetings to respond to one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades, which sharply raised the stakes in a week-old French campaign against al Qaeda-linked rebels in the Sahara.

An Algerian security source earlier said 25 foreign hostages had escaped the besieged compound, including two Japanese.

The source told Reuters the captors had demanded safe passage out with their prisoners. Algeria has refused to negotiate with what it says is a band of about 20 fighters.

MORE

BREAKING: 34 hostages killed in air strike by Algerian forces

NOUAKCHOTT- Thirty-four hostages and 14 of their al Qaeda-linked kidnappers were killed on Thursday in an air strike by the Algerian armed forces, Mauritania's ANI news agency reported, citing one of the kidnappers holding captives at a desert gas field.

It was not immediately possible to independently verify the information from the agency, which has close contact with the group which has claimed responsibility for the mass kidnapping.

ANI reported that the spokesman for the kidnappers said they would kill the rest of their captives if the army approached.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE90F1JJ20130117

---

http://scribblelive.mobi/Event/Mali_Conflict?Theme=39

[Melinda]

1. "It became necessary to destroy the town to save it"

for all the innocents.

[BeyondGeography]

2. And the point of that was?

[naaman fletcher]

5. to kill the terrorists

The Algerian government doesn't give a shit if it kills the hostages. The oil companies will still come to drill, and they will still have the cash to buy armaments.

What happens to the hostages has no affect on the governments ability to stay in power.

What happens to the "terrorists" does.

[Ghost Dog]

9. Get the message:

Nobody should take lightly the idea of messing with the Algerian military. Especially not on Algerian territory.

[blackspade]

3. terrible news.

[SHRED]

4. Lemme guess...

...more oil wars?


---

[dipsydoodle]

8. Not really

The rebels were attempting to stop Algeria from allowing French planes over their airspace to reach Mali. They failed.

[ButterflyBlood]

45. Uh no

That's a pretty big leap.

[malthaussen]

6. Still breaking, and rather confused.

Jerry Pournelle would approve, however.

-- Mal

[dipsydoodle]

7. Running updates here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2013/jan/17/algerian-islamists-hostages-standoff-live

and main Reuters link here :

Reports say many hostages killed in Algeria siege.

(Reuters) - A Mauritanian news agency that has been in constant contact with kidnappers holding dozens of Western hostages in Algeria reported on Thursday that 34 of the captives had been killed in air strikes.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the report by the ANI news agency, which said 14 kidnappers had also been killed in air strikes by the Algerian armed forces, which had surrounded the remote desert gas pumping station where the kidnappers were holed up.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera television carried a similar report, citing its own sources.

ANI quoted a spokesman for the kidnappers as saying they would kill the rest of their captives if the army approached.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/17/uk-sahara-crisis-idUKBRE90F1K220130117

[Mass]

10. Actually, the news on the French media are somewhat different.

http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2013/01/17/prise-d-otages-en-algerie-les-ravisseurs-veulent-le-retrait-des-militaires-algeriens-du-site_1818167_3212.html

They refer to 25 hostages able to flee and do not have a number of dead yet.

Careful with unconfirmed sources.

[Hissyspit]

11. @CBSNews: DEVELOPING ... Diplomatic source confirms to CBS News casualties among both terrorists and

@CBSNews: DEVELOPING ... Diplomatic source confirms to CBS News casualties among both terrorists and hostages in Algeria http://t.co/lff5zdtJ

@Reuters: Many dead at site of Algerian kidnapping: resident http://t.co/9OKhBdAf

[Mass]

12. I have no doubt there were casualties.

It is just that details will be fuzzy until people actually enter the site, which has not happened yet.

However, the Algerian army is not known for being subtle.

[Hissyspit]

13. @Reuters: 180 Algerian hostages escape siege - local source http://t.co/r5zLvpLQ

[Mass]

14. The Guardian has 55 now

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2013/jan/17/algeria-amenas-gas-field-hostages-interactive

Here is the live feed for the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2013/jan/17/algerian-islamists-hostages-standoff-live

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. But is that just a repeat of the news from a couple of hours earlier?

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014371819 .

[Mass]

16. I am not sure. News seem very unclear

This is the live feed from Le Monde, but who knows who is at the origin of the post. The Guardian, in their live feed, says that they cannot confirm any news they publish. Here is their lates post.

A local source has told Reuters that six foreign hostages and eight rebels were killed in the Algerian strike on the gas complex. Again, we cannot confirm this

This is why I think it is better to wait and see. I feel so sorry for families who are getting these unverified news.

[Mass]

17. There is a lot of contradictory and unverified information coming out of Algeria. Here is a round-up

The Guardian confirms that the information is not confirmed. Given where the facility is, you've got to wonder what "local source" means?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2013/jan/17/algerian-islamists-hostages-standoff-live?commentpage=1#block-50f7f4cdb579240893bf5118

[dipsydoodle]

18. Algerian military is now in complete control of the complex.

The Algerian news service Tout sur l'Algerie is citing a regional official as saying the Algerian military is now in complete control of the complex. This information has not been independently confirmed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2013/jan/17/algerian-islamists-hostages-standoff-live

[Coyotl]

19. Algeria: 20 hostages escape, including Americans

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_22392878/algeria-20-hostages-escape-including-americans

By AOMAR OUALI and PAUL SCHEMM, Associated Press
Posted: 01/17/2013 06:56:35 AM PST
Updated: 01/17/2013 06:56:36 AM PST

ALGIERS, Algeria -- At least 20 foreign hostages escaped Thursday from Islamist militants who had taken over an Algerian natural gas complex in the Sahara desert, an Algerian security official reported.

Americans and Europeans were among those who escaped, he said, without elaborating. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

At least 20 gunmen attacked the vast complex early Wednesday in retaliation for France's military intervention against al-Qaida-linked rebels in neighboring Mali.

The militants, who claimed to have 41 hostages, have been in a tense standoff since then, surrounded by the Algerian military, which has helicopters flying over the plant.

Some 30 Algerian workers fled the complex earlier in the day ........

[Comrade_McKenzie]

27. They made damn sure the Americans got out of there. Sometimes it pays to have an aggressive rep. nt

[Coyotl]

28. I'd await the details before starting the celebration! Americans died too, it seems.

[malthaussen]

20. ANI is the source of the most alarmist reports,

APS (the official Algerian news bureau) claims ANI is compromised by ties to the attackers. The APS story (which is apparently based on army sources) lowers the number of casualties considerably. What it looks like is that the army made a raid on the gas field and one of the support helicopters took out a truck that had some hostages on it.

We'll just have to cultivate patience, eh?

-- Mal

[aquart]

21. Not trained by the Israelis, I take it?

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Hostage inflation: Le Mode now claiming on Twitter 600 Algerians have been freed

#Algérie #InAmenas 600 otages algériens libérés jeudi par l'armée algérienne, selon l'agence officielle APS http://lemde.fr/W20owz

https://twitter.com/lemondefr/statuses/291926719504449537

though there's no mention of that number on the Le Monde site the tweet links to.

[Bjornsdotter]

34. Agreed

The French & Swedish papers are not reporting 35 killed. I remain hopeful until we know for certain.

[pinboy3niner]

23. Irishman freed

3.21pm GMT

Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs has said the Irishman held hostage in Algeria has made contact with his family and is understood to be safe and freed from captivity, the Press Association reports.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2013/jan/17/algerian-islamists-hostages-standoff-live

[bemildred]

24. Old school. Kill them all, let God sort them out. nt

[Coyotl]

25. (Reuters) - Twenty-five foreign hostages escaped and six were killed

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/17/us-sahara-crisis-idUSBRE90F1JJ20130117
By Lamine Chikhi
ALGIERS | Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:24am EST

(Reuters) - Twenty-five foreign hostages escaped and six were killed on Thursday when Algerian forces launched an operation to free them at a remote desert gas plant, Algerian sources said, as one of the biggest international hostage crises in decades unfolded.

Fast-moving details of the military operation to free the hostages were difficult to confirm. Algeria's official APS news agency said that the military had freed four foreign hostages, giving no further information.

A local source told Reuters six foreign hostages were killed along with eight captors when the Algerian military fired on a vehicle being used by the gunmen. An Algerian security source said the 25 foreign hostages had escaped. .........

[Coyotl]

26. 5 min. ago: At least six western hostages and 8 Islamist militants were reported to have been kille

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/algerian-hostage-crisis-erupts-reports-of-six-hostages-killed-by-helicopter-attack-8455045.html

At least six western hostages and 8 Islamist militants were reported to have been killed today when Algerian army helicopters intervened in the siege at a BP-run gas plant in the Sahara desert.

A Mauritanian news agency, ANI, citing militants at the site, said the helicopters had strafed a bus trying to leave the gas plant near In Amenas which was captured by Al-Qaida-linked insurgents yesterday.

The agency said earlier that as many as 35 hostages had died.

This was contradicted by a local source who told Reuters that six hostages died, 25 escaped and seven were still being held. As many as 150 Algerians hostages were also said to have escaped.

.......

[The Magistrate]

30. Iranian State Reports, Sir, Can Be Dismissed Wholly

What the original ANI claim cited is worth remains unclear.

The thing is unlikely to be sorted out before tomorrow morning....

[Coyotl]

31. I disagree, Madam.

Don't be ridiculous! A news agency is a news agency. In some cases, they are going to be MORE reliable because of political alignments.

[The Magistrate]

32. Press TV, Sir --- How Shall I Phrase This --- Makes Shit Up

They will cite others when the report suits their desires, without the least regard for whether it is accurate or not.

What the ANI report they cite in this instance is worth I cannot ( and will not ) hazard a decent guess.

It will be a day or so before accurate information is available concerning this.

[Coyotl]

35. That, Madam, sounds like a few USA papers reporting on the Bush Admin

You make it sound like the problem is a certain country. It, Madam, is a universal problem in journalism and always has been.

But, hey, join them and fire away at a nation state instead of being on the critical reasoning team!

[The Magistrate]

36. You Must Find Yourself Awfully Amusing, Sir....

Many people who are extremely boring do.

[Coyotl]

37. Wow, time to bring out your big guns

the ad hominem is the last resort of a failed argument.

[EX500rider]

40. "A news agency is a news agency." !?!

Really...so the North Korean New agency also as trustworthy in your book?

[Beacool]

33. Great rescue job!!!

Who did they talk to, Putin?

May the innocent rest in peace.

[Charles Goya]

38. Seems to me that the Algerian government is covering up the facts

The Algerian Government seems to wish that reports of many deaths go undisclosed. This will not last long.

[wordpix]

39. BP facility is where hostages were taken, apparently. All about oil/gas

[Selatius]

41. I don't see the point in taking hostages if the target government is willing to blow up hostages. nt

[andypandy]

43. thats the idea...

there is a school of thought that a number of governments - and i'd look specifically at Russia for starters - have a train of thought that says that killing everyone, terrorists and hostages, has a 'de-inflationary' effect on the point of taking hostages as a political/military tactic, and theoretically at least, a reduction in the number of hotage taking events.

pretty rough on the actual hostage, but - theoretically - good for the potential hostage.

whether it works or not...

[ieoeja]

44. After Reagan paid ransom for the return of hostages in Iran...

... Jihadis went on a spree of hostage taking. This continued for 12 years. Then in 1993 Somalis took an American helicopter pilot hostage and demanded ransom.

Clinton ordered a Marine task force back to Somalia. The hostage was released before the Marines even got close. And no American hostages were taken by Jihadis again until the war began in Afghanistan.

[Adsos Letter]

42. If I'm looking at GoogleEarth correctly...

that place is really out in the middle of nowhere. Looks like the vicinity of 27°54'42.20"N 9° 6'50.60"E

[pinboy3niner]

46. Reports: Military operation has concluded; 7 foreigners among 30 hostages killed

Reuters:

• 11 militants killed in Algeria hostage situation, source says
• Source: Among the dead militants are 3 Egyptians, 2 Algerians
• Source: 30 hostages, including 7 foreigners, are dead
• Source: Deceased hostages include 2 Japanese, 2 Britons, 1 French national
• APS: Algerian hostage situation at gas plant is over

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Mali_Conflict

[Alamuti Lotus]

47. well, the fight between what is now called AQIM and Algerian military is nothing new

what is now called Al Qai'dah in the Islamic Maghreb (a secondary force in the Islamic Coalition in Mali) is the successor to the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA in French), formed in the 1990s after the military cancelled elections that a centrist Islamic business party was set to dominate. The GIA had serious conflicts with the headquarters of al-Qai'dah for years, for reasons I never entirely understood--the latter mocked them for participating in the fraudulent election processes, but I never quite figured out the real source of doctrinal or tactical difference, if not just a personality conflict between the emirs on each end. A few years ago, the Algerian group made peace with al-Qai'dah, rebranded itself AQIM, lessened their focus on capturing the Algerian state and fanned out across all of the Sahara/Sahel region and become quite powerful. Before then, both parties (AQIM & Algerian military) provided sufficient pretext for the other to commit horrible crimes and are very familiar with one another, though AQIM typically targetted military forces and the oil industry, and the military went after anybody it wanted.